1.President Donald Trump proclaimed July 4, 2026, as the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the US Declaration of Independence, calling it a celebration of America's founding ideals.

2.The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 2,645, and 12,666 people were injured, Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said.

3.President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Dr. Ajit Kumar Shasany as the Vice Chancellor of Central University of Odisha (CUO), said the department. 

4.The Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) is organising ‘Samarthya-2026’—a national-level short film festival—in Odisha.

5.The Odisha State Police Housing & Welfare Corporation Limited (OPHWC) has paid a record dividend of Rs 21.28 crore to the Government of Odisha for the financial year 2024-25, marking the highest-ever dividend declared by the state-owned public sector undertaking.

6. India is nearing completion of its first bullet train corridor, the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High‑Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, which will provide a standardised template for upcoming bullet train corridors across the country, a statement said on Friday.

7.The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested eight people for their alleged association with the banned terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

8.Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw has reportedly directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to summon officials of Meta over advertisements hosted on Instagram that allegedly promoted child sexual abuse.

9.As activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike at Jantar Mantar entered the sixth day Friday, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) said he appeared far weaker and more exhausted and urged supporters across the country to observe a one-day fast in solidarity with the protest. Sharing Wangchuk's latest health.

10.Beijing: Over 800 Chinese entrepreneurs, investors and tour operators Friday took part in a conference highlighting investment opportunities in India in China's Hangzhou city.

11.Odisha Vigilance Friday arrested two former Panchayat Executive Officers (PEOs) of Puri district for allegedly embezzling more than Rs 30.78 lakh meant for beneficiaries of the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY).

12.Dr Ajit Kumar Shasany, Director of CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) in Lucknow, has been appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Odisha (CUO).

13.The Election Commission has appointed 10 senior IAS officers as Electoral Roll Observers (ERO) to oversee the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) in the state, according to a notification issued Friday. 

14.Police arrested a man posing as an Odisha Police constable after he was found wandering suspiciously outside the office of the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Anugola Thursday.

15.Bank staff told the SIT that before the theft came to light, donations to the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's bank accounts averaged Rs 16 to Rs 18 lakh per day. After the case surfaced, however, the amount rose to Rs 24 to Rs 26 lakh per day